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Wilma Shultz, 85

Wilma Darlene Shultz born Feb. 10,1928 at Burwell, Neb., Father Chris B. Worden and Mother Mary Elizabeth Bilstein. As a small child,she moved from a farm in the Burwell area with her parents to a ranch on Swan Lake. Having the life of a country girl, she loved horses and helped run the ranch with her mother while her father's job took him away. Her family would be a part of the planting and watering of all the trees that grow around Swan Lake. After the passing of her little sister, Merylea, a brother, Gaylen, was born, making the family complete. Graduating from Burwell high School, she moved into Burwell working at the local Drug store. Soon a handsome young Army Sergeant Francis (Pat) Milton Shultz would make her a happy bride. They married Feb.19,1946, living a short time in Burwell, then moving to Arcadia,where both weere employed at the Nebraska Central Telephone Company. She was a Switch Board Operator and often talked about the unforgetable experience that happened while working one day at the switch board. Arcadia was hit by a deadly tornado. Many calls came, many towns and people responded and wanted to help, a time they'll never forget. Darlene was soon em-ployed by the local surgical dentist and would assit in many surgical procedures. Soon motherhood would bring an infant daughter, Mary Lois, who was called to heaven, only a few days old. Darlene would give birth again, this time to a son, Con Lee. This would make her a very busy mother with sport activities, hunting, fishing and many events for the family. After her sons wedding, he made his mother very proud by following in his fathers foot steps in the Army, as did her grandson Garrett. Over the years Darlene would be nonstop, many family holidays and good times with her brother’s family and her son's family with six grandsons, one granddaughter and 16 great-grandchildren. Later after the passing of her husband "Pat", she would move to independed living at Legacy Estates in Lin-coln to be closer to her son and family. Darlene was known to keep daily diaries. Not knowing just when she started, sometimes she would be asked what happen on certain dates and she could answer, her only regret was she wished she had started sooner. Her passion was to keep many things as treasures, many old things, some important and others just because in her time, you didn't throw away things you might need some day. She loved to take pictures of barns, the old ones barely standing and others not so old, she was afraid that some day they all might be gone. She loved the Sandhills and the history, the old songs and the people. She and her husband "Pat" made many dear friends over their life time. She is survived by her brother Gaylen Worden of Burwell and his family, son Con Lee Shultz, six grandsons, one granddaughter, 16 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, Chris, mother, Mary, sister, Merylea, husband, Francis "Pat” and daughter, Mary Lois. Funeral Services were conducted Sept. 14, 2013, at the United Methodist Church in Arcadia with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Hale officiating. Interment was in the Arcadia Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Arcadia Veterans Memorial. There was a visitation the evening before the service at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow. Published in Custer County Chief, Sept. 19, 2013